deliberate

Everyday

1. Something deliberate is done on purpose, not by accident. tree →
2. Deliberate movements or speech are slow and careful. tree →
3. (formal, verb) To deliberate is to think about something carefully or talk about it for a long time before deciding. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and in playground fights it tells whether someone meant to do something: "It was deliberate!" In sport, a deliberate foul is punished more. In formal texts a jury or committee deliberates. Phrases: a deliberate act, deliberate mistake, deliberate over/about.

Examples

• That trip was deliberate, not an accident! tree →
• He made a deliberate mistake to see if we were listening. tree →
• She walked with slow, deliberate steps across the ice. tree →
• The judges deliberated for an hour before choosing the winner. tree →
• Breaking the window was not deliberate; the ball slipped. tree →
• The referee gave a red card for a deliberate handball. tree →
• The council deliberated about the new park. tree →
• Write each number in slow, deliberate strokes. tree →
• The trusty servant deliberated for a long while how to set about this business, for it was very difficult to get into the presence of the King's daughter. tree →

Note

Two pronunciations: adjective ends "-rit" (de-LIB-er-it); verb ends "-rate" (de-LIB-er-ate). Adverb: deliberately = on purpose. Opposite: accidental. "Deliberate" as a verb is formal.